Rakheem Conrwall Picks Seven as West Indies Take Control Against Afghanistan

On a track that helped the spinners at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, West Indies spinner Rakheem Cornwall ran through Afghanistan’s batting lineup and finished with career best figures of 7/75 in the first innings of the one-off Test between them. He is only the third West Indies cricketer after Andy Roberts and Lance Gibbs to take seven in an innings in India.

Afghanistan’s last outing was against Ireland, and there was no doubt this would be a difficult task for Rashid Khan’s men. However it seemed like the ‘hosts’ were moving along fine at one stage as the top three got starts.

Unfortunately, none Ibrahim Zadran (17), Javed Ahmadi (39) and Ihsanullah (24) could make that count and Afghanistan were reduced to 90/3 at the end of the first session. Cornwall had picked two of the three wickets.

The experienced Rahmat Shah and Asghar Afghan could not hold onto their wickets for too long either as Cornwall scalped three more for less than ten runs to leave Afghanistan reeling at 98/6.

Rashid Khan fell to Jason Holder (2/22) soon before some late resistance came in the form of Afsar Zazai (32) and Amir Hamza (34), both of whom together put on 54 for the eighth wicket.

Yamin Ahmadzai (18) also added a few valuable runs towards the end before Cornwall duly wrapped up the innings.

Jomel Warrican was the third wicket-taker for the West Indies bowling unit, who did well to support Cornwall’s massive effort which restricted the opposition to 187.

Rashid’s men however did not end the day without some joy as they managed to peg the West Indies innings back by a couple of early wickets.

Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope failed to get going in the final hours, leaving John Campbell (30*) and Shamarh Brooks (19*) to see out the day 119 runs behind Afghanistan’s first innings total.